Arc of the Souls Chapter 75: Intermission - SGS: Tired & Nervous

Read chapter 75 of Arc of the Souls by Noyr on NovelPedia.

“This is Captain Magami of the Star Gazer Squad, I was to report two days earlier but we've come across a problem. We are late but the Star Gazer Squad bears no casualties.” [R]: “You have permission to land in the hangar.” Claude sighed, parking the shuttle in the hangar. They were in Soul-Core's main space station after having a small respite in Blackstone Station. It was a smooth park as well. You would often forget how good of a pilot Claude is when he's being an idiot. No words were exchanged among the Star Gazer Squad throughout the trip to Blackstone and from Blackstone to here. At least not any productive ones. All Nanasu did was weep quietly and Mikael was trying to avoid eye contact. Bad blood was high. “We're here. Mikael, come help me unload this stuff.” Claude ordered. Mikael nodded and followed Claude out of the shuttle. He looked back at Nanasu, who was still sitting in the corner, cradling Kleine. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He thought he shouldn't. Nanasu kept eye contact for just a second, seeing them unload crates that Blackstone Station provided them with. They looked heavy but she did not care at all. She knew what was next. A mountain of paperwork. That would usually keep the whole squad busy. But the next paperwork she will fill out is her resignation letter. It felt as though a burden has been lifted off her shoulders. At last, she is free from the constant death, fear, and pain that has been haunting her for years. She wouldn't need to fight, and most importantly, she wouldn't have to knock on death's door. And yet, she couldn't smile. The very thought of leaving the Star Gazer Squad behind made her heart ache. Mikael carried a crate out of the shuttle, ignoring Nanasu actively. Nanasu had a crate next to her, instinctively carrying on with the order that wasn't even directed to her, but realized that now that she had that fight. She shouldn't even look them in the eye. “Hm.” Claude looked back, tossing a small bag to Nanasu and smiling. “Make yourself useful!” Nanasu, with her teary eyes, looked at Claude, who now had a cheerful look on his face. Is he serious? Mikael and Nanasu both thought. “I'll grab our bags in the front.” He smacked his chest with a fist to Mikael. The weight of the bag in her hands felt like a lead. It was full of medical supplies and leftover rations, mundane things from a mission that almost killed her. Surprisingly, that didn't let Nanasu weep in the corner anymore. It only made her stand up and help out with taking things out of the ship. To Claude, Nanasu was still a member in heart. She then hoisted the bag over her shoulder and took a crate to carry it outside. As the hangar door opened, a woman furiously approached Nanasu out of nowhere. “E...Eh?” Nanasu dropped the crate, stumbling back in surprise. “Excuse me- Is Claude here by any chance?” “E... The ship...” She pointed toward the inside of the ship. “CLAUDE MAGAMI! YOU GODDAMN IDIOT!” The woman shouted, stomping inside the shuttle. “Y-You might want to get away...” Mikael's eyes widened. “Oh, no...” “Oh crap... MIKAEL HELPP!!!” Claude comically hid behind Mikael, trying to use him as a meat shield in case his death was written now. Mikael was tall, towering over the woman at around a feet more. His size made the woman freeze, but she managed to maintain her angry aura. “TWO DAYS OF DISAPPEARANCE! WANNA TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED, HM!?” “L-Lena... I...” To the surprise of Nanasu and Mikael. The woman named Lena is actually Lena Magami, the wife of Claude Magami. They long thought that Claude wasn't able to score a wife so they weaved it like it was a fairy tale. However, this Lena Magami was real. Nanasu had seen her a couple of times but never had she opened up to be Claude Magami's wife. “Sorry, sir... You're on your own...” Mikael walked away, absolutely flabbergasted at the scene. “Claude... Answer me...” Lena was just inches away, looking down at the soon-to-be no longer Captain Magami.